Letter, to Mother from Lee McNicholl, July 16, 1862

Mississippi Springs, State of Mississippi. Expects to go to camp "day after tomorrow." Goes on: the Linconites have been casting an ancious eye on Vicksburg for the last eight weeks. They have been shelling it almost constantly in that time, however not doing much damage except knocking the city to pieces, very few of our men killed only some ten or tweleve in all." He says his cimpany has "seen hard times" because of sickness. About hald of them have been in hospital and six have died of measles in the last three weeks. Conditions at the hospital are terrible, and "if it was not for the Sisters of Charity who come here to nurse us I do not know what we would do."